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Should the Atlanta Braves attempt to trade for Joc Pederson?

By Steven Teal

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 07: Joc Pederson #31 of the Los Angeles Dodgers flies out in the first inning against the Washington Nationals in game four of the National League Division Series at Nationals Park on October 07, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 07: Joc Pederson #31 of the Los Angeles Dodgers flies out in the first inning against the Washington Nationals in game four of the National League Division Series at Nationals Park on October 07, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

Is Pederson worth trading for?

While Joc Pederson’s stats aren’t exactly eye-popping, he provides exactly what the Atlanta Braves are looking for. A power bat that could fit behind Freddie Freeman. He is also only expected to make $8.5 million in 2020. That’s a very doable amount for Atlanta’s front office.

Pederson finished the 2019 season with a slash line of .249/.339/.538 and a .877 OPS. He slugged a career-high 36 home runs and drove in 74 runs.

The aspect that you don’t like about his offense is that he only walked 50 times while striking out 111 times. That’s something you hate to lose especially considering how great Josh Donaldson was at getting on base.

However, not every player is going to walk a lot in today’s era of baseball. Some guys just aren’t built that way.

Joc is known for hitting the ball extremely hard and that’s exactly what the Braves are looking for. His average exit velocity in 2019 was 91.1 mph with a hard-hit ball rate of 45.2%. He also carried a 6.7% barrels per plate appearance.

For comparison sake, Josh Donaldson’s average exit velocity in 2019 was 92.9 mph and held a 47.5% hard-hit ball rate. His barrels per plate appearance was a bit better at 9.1%.

So, based on those numbers, Pederson would provide the power boost that Atlanta is currently looking for. It all depends on if the Braves feel like Josh Donaldson or any other free agent signing is unlikely to happen.

The 27-year-old is also a decent defender in left field where he played the majority of 2019. He played a few games at first base as well which could make him a great option for resting Freddie Freeman every now and then.

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